Has anyone used calmers for horses on box rest?

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sfward

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As per title really. A friend of a friend apparently used Tempralax on her mare whilst she was on box rest as she got quite stressed about the whole thing. I was thinking of trying it with Missie as she has started box walking, pawing at the door and scraping her teeth along the top of the door - after just 2 days...
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Can anyone recommend an effective calmer which might help her settle? Or any management techniques come to that. I'm hoping she'll settle once she gets used to the routine a bit more (she is used to being out 24/7 so this is a bit of a shock to her system), and I'm in the process of getting her some stable toys, but it's not nice to see her so miserable.
 
The tricks I used on my chap were:
A - Naf Magic calmer
B - ball with cut up carrotts, veg etc in to keep him busy
C - ad lib hay
D - swede/apples etc on a rope
E - apple bobbing
F - lots of cuddles
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Hope any of those help. You may find though that its trial and error on calmers.
 
I agree try the above and there is a herbal "box rest" supplement that I may use. Although Spider is behaving impeccibly at the mo, fingers crossed!

I have bought her a tongue twsiter licket and if the vet says it is ok I will get her a ball with food in. I also put apples in a bucket of water and she has dry hay, soaked hay and haylege to vary things.
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[ QUOTE ]
The tricks I used on my chap were:
A - Naf Magic calmer
B - ball with cut up carrotts, veg etc in to keep him busy
C - ad lib hay
D - swede/apples etc on a rope
E - apple bobbing
F - lots of cuddles
wink.gif

Hope any of those help. You may find though that its trial and error on calmers.

[/ QUOTE ]

Did exactly the same
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What calmers do people recommend?
My friend's horse is on in-hand walking and she is being a beast but the vet has told her she has got to wean her off acp!
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My friend's horse is being injected twice weekly with a calmer (not a sedative), which has been prescribed by the vet. Seems to be working (thank goodness as he was box walking like a lunatic, not ideal for a suspensory ligament injury!).

I'll try and find out more about it.
 
I've got one of mine on box rest at the moment and she was on ACP for the first four weeks. I've weaned her off them now. She was box walking dreadfully and weaving if she ever stopped that. We tried a mirror, TV, feeding her half as much but twice as often, distracting her with carrots etc. She is best with another horse next to her but the thing we found made most difference was to leave the door open with a stall guard across. At the beginning of that I would cross tie her in front of the door and have haynets on both sides so she could reach them.

She has now realised that she is ok in her stable and got used to it and has stopped box walking entirely. She still weaves like crazy for a few minutes, jumping from one leg to the other, on the rare occasion all the other horses have to go out but I accept that she does have to show some signs of stress - let's face it she can't nip out for a fag like I do when stressed.
 
Ive found that for my mare the best thing to use is the hilton herbs equilibrium. THe NAF magic didnt work and neither does the Cortaflex so Kalm plus. Its just an idea it may work. Shes been in 24/7 for a month now and is much clamer than she used to be and shes only young and hates being in.
 
Grace is on her fifth week of box rest tomorrow and has been an absolute star, which was not expected because she is a hot headed and stressy mare who has been known to rear in her box she has got that stressed out.

As soon as I found out she was going on box rest I put her on Equine America So Kalm, and for the first 3 days I doubled it up (it says you can use an extra scoop on the day competing) and then just put an extra scoop in whenever i had to travel her to the vets which was once a week. She has been brilliant on it, and I would certainly recommend it because you can add an extra scoop if you have to do something different.
 
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